Front or platform gear for vehicles.



J. ERRET.

FRONT 0R PLATFORM GEAR r011 VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DIJO.21, 1908.

922,869. Patented May 25, 1909.

' illlll) WITNESSES INVENTOR Josnrn ERRET, or CLEVELAND, orno.

FRONT OR PLATFORIVL GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented May 25, 1909.

Application filed December 21, 1908. Serial No. 468,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn Ennn'r, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Front or Platform Gears for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in sec tion of those portions of the gear embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view; F 3 is a detail view of the truss brace detached.

My invention relates to front or platform gears for vehicles, and is designed to provide an improved construction and arrangement of the splinter bar truss or braces, which will permit of adjustment to take up any settling of the gear; which will provide a strong and durable construction; and which will avoid expensive forging and fitting of the parts.

The precise nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accomp anying drawings, in which I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof and which will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates the splinter bar and 3 the spring shackle irons which are secured to the under side of the end portions of the bar.

4. is a truss rod whose end portions are threaded and extend through openings in depending lugs 5, on the irons 3, inside of the lugs 6, to which the springs (not shown) are fastened. The ends of the truss rod are secured by nuts 7 on their outer ends and by jam nuts 8 inside of the lugs 5.

9 designates a combined truss brace and strut having its end portions 10 secured to the splinter bar and having its central portion formed with a seat for the tongue hounds 11, being provided with upwardly extending lugs 12, which prevent lateral movement of the hounds. The combined truss brace and strut is also provided with the depending rojections 13, which are concaved at their ower ends to fit over the central portion of the truss rod 4.

14 designates bolts which extend downwardly through the splinter bar, the tongue hounds and the mem er 9, with their heads countersunk in the projections 13, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus securing the parts firmly together.

In assembling the parts the adjustable truss rod 4 can be put in position after the other parts are assembled and given the proper tension to support the splinter bar. In case of settling of the gear, which very often occurs, due to heavy loading, the nuts 7 and 8 can be readily adjusted to tighten up the truss rod and straighten up the gear. In the old method, when the gear settled, it was necessary to take it apart and put a new splinter in place of the old one and to refit the irons to this bar, which was an expensive operation. By means of my improvement, the truss rod can be tightened up and the bar brought back to place without taking it apart or putting in a new bar. In the old gears, if it were necessary to repair one of the spring shackles, all of the splinter bar irons had to be taken off. In my improved construction, it is only necessary to take off the spring shackle iron which is to be repaired. The combined truss brace and strut not only forms an additional truss support for the splinter bar, but it also forms an effective strut for the truss rod 9, and in addition serves to the tongue hounds.

I claim:

1. In a front or platform gear for vehicles, a splinter bar having a truss rod secured thereto, and a truss brace also secured to the central portion of the splinter bar and forming a seat for the tongue hounds, and said brace also having means engaging the truss rod to act as a strut between said rod and the splinter bar; substantially as described.

2. In a front or platform gear for vehicles, a splinter bar having a truss rod secured thereto, and a truss brace also secured to the central portion of the splinter bar, and tongue hounds sealed on and within the brace and between the brace and the underside of the splinter bar; substantially as described.

3. In a front or platform gear for vehicles, a splinter bar having a truss rod and a combined truss brace and strut secured to the central portion of the bar, said truss brace and strut having seats for the tongue hounds and also having downward projections forming separated bearings for the truss rod, substantially as described.

4. In a front or platform gear for vehicles,

prevent spreading side motion of.

a splinter bar having an adjustable truss rod hounds with means to prevent the lateral and a combined truss brace and strut secured l movement thereof, and also having downto the central portion of the bar and having l ward projections fitting the truss rod, subbearings for the central portion of the truss stantially as described.

5 rod, substantially as described. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 15 5. In a front or platform gear for vehicles, my hand. a splinter bar having a truss rod, and a com- JOSEPH ERRET. bined truss brace and strut secured to the Witnesses: central portion of the splinter bar, said truss JOHN MOGRATI-I,

10 brace and strut having seats for the tongue ALFRED J. VATERs.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 922,869, granted May 25, 1909. upon the application of Joseph Erret, of Cleveland, Ohio, for an improvement in Front or Platform Gears for Vehicles, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 100, page 1 the Word sealed should read seated; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. D., 1909.

C. O. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

